Engineers, Who Met Online, Set Up Website To Protect Information Seekers From Attack
In an encouraging fillip for the Right To Information movement, a citizens’ initiative launched online allows applicants a shield of anonymity while seeking information from any public agency. The initiative operating under the ‘RTI Anonymous’ banner was floated on October 15 by three engineering professionals and comes at a time when transparency movements both in India and abroad are fighting for survival as information seekers are forced to work in an environment of growing hostility and resistance.
Earlier this week, citing financial reasons, whistleblower website Wikileaks announced that it would temporarily stop publishing secret government files. Closer home Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently suggested that RTI was interfering with the working of the government. Attacks on information seekers have become commonplace, with transparency groups estimating that 28 activists have been killed since the RTI Act was passed in 2005.
For NRI Anand Sharma, web-designer from Delhi Avnish Singh, and IIT-Kharagpur student Ritesh Singh, it was the murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood which served as a wake-up call. Strangers to each other till social activist Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption movement brought them together on common online fora, the trio decided to move beyond the agitation, pool in their expertise and lift the shadow of fear enveloping the RTI.
“The three of us were on a common social networking group and would post our opinions on what should be done next. This led to online chats and conference calls during which we realized that people who dared to stand up against corruption were being victimized,” recalls Sharma, an engineer working in the US. Given their technical know-how, setting up a website to facilitate RTIs for applicants who didn’t want to reveal their identity seemed the most logical step. The website, getup4change.org, allows anyone to log on and draft an RTI on the site or email the group using a dummy email ID. The trio and their informal network of volunteers take over from there.
“We file the RTI through random volunteers, who are based in different parts of India, thereby completely bypassing the possibility of any victimization. For instance, a volunteer in Delhi with a legitimate Delhi address files an RTI for an issue concerning Bangalore authorities,” explains Ritesh (19), adding that fellow-IITians have been volunteering to file the RTIs. Activists are more susceptible to attacks if they are within “geographical limits of the authorities they are seeking information for”. Dispersing the network of applicants, thus offers some degree of protection to information seekers.
Within two weeks of its launch, the group has drawn 35 volunteers including retired public information officers and received 105 applications on subjects varying from the spending of Parliamentarians to the illegal quota of liquor shops in Karnataka and misuse of funds in MP.
Calling the initiative a good idea, chief information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said that the protection of whistleblowers has been a growing concern. “Such initiatives will ultimately strengthen the RTI movement. The only challenge is that information officers are unlikely to reveal sensitive information at the first go and the group would need to pursue matters diligently,” he cautioned. The challenges are evident. The website has in fact already faced a hacking attempt.
HOW IT WORKS
In an encouraging fillip for the Right To Information movement, a citizens’ initiative launched online allows applicants a shield of anonymity while seeking information from any public agency. The initiative operating under the ‘RTI Anonymous’ banner was floated on October 15 by three engineering professionals and comes at a time when transparency movements both in India and abroad are fighting for survival as information seekers are forced to work in an environment of growing hostility and resistance.
Earlier this week, citing financial reasons, whistleblower website Wikileaks announced that it would temporarily stop publishing secret government files. Closer home Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently suggested that RTI was interfering with the working of the government. Attacks on information seekers have become commonplace, with transparency groups estimating that 28 activists have been killed since the RTI Act was passed in 2005.
For NRI Anand Sharma, web-designer from Delhi Avnish Singh, and IIT-Kharagpur student Ritesh Singh, it was the murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood which served as a wake-up call. Strangers to each other till social activist Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption movement brought them together on common online fora, the trio decided to move beyond the agitation, pool in their expertise and lift the shadow of fear enveloping the RTI.
“The three of us were on a common social networking group and would post our opinions on what should be done next. This led to online chats and conference calls during which we realized that people who dared to stand up against corruption were being victimized,” recalls Sharma, an engineer working in the US. Given their technical know-how, setting up a website to facilitate RTIs for applicants who didn’t want to reveal their identity seemed the most logical step. The website, getup4change.org, allows anyone to log on and draft an RTI on the site or email the group using a dummy email ID. The trio and their informal network of volunteers take over from there.
“We file the RTI through random volunteers, who are based in different parts of India, thereby completely bypassing the possibility of any victimization. For instance, a volunteer in Delhi with a legitimate Delhi address files an RTI for an issue concerning Bangalore authorities,” explains Ritesh (19), adding that fellow-IITians have been volunteering to file the RTIs. Activists are more susceptible to attacks if they are within “geographical limits of the authorities they are seeking information for”. Dispersing the network of applicants, thus offers some degree of protection to information seekers.
Within two weeks of its launch, the group has drawn 35 volunteers including retired public information officers and received 105 applications on subjects varying from the spending of Parliamentarians to the illegal quota of liquor shops in Karnataka and misuse of funds in MP.
Calling the initiative a good idea, chief information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said that the protection of whistleblowers has been a growing concern. “Such initiatives will ultimately strengthen the RTI movement. The only challenge is that information officers are unlikely to reveal sensitive information at the first go and the group would need to pursue matters diligently,” he cautioned. The challenges are evident. The website has in fact already faced a hacking attempt.
HOW IT WORKS
l RTI applicants can log on to www(dot)getup4change(dot)org
l Click on the ‘Submit RTI’ link to file a Right To Information application
l Users can also send an email with a dummy email ID, if they wish
l The team files the RTI through their network of volunteers at no cost to the applicants
l Applicants can choose to be appraised on the progress of their application via email
l The information or document is put up on the site once obtained
l The group has no details of applicants. So, identity of information seekers is protected
FREEDOM UNDER THREAT
Attacks on information seekers have become commonplace with transparency groups estimating that 28 activists have been killed since the RTI Act was passed in 2005
OCTOBER 2011 | Two Goan RTI activists, Derrick Dias (61) and Ganasham Kunkolkar (42) have been repeatedly attacked following their complaint against illegal motor garages
AUGUST 2011 | Environmental activist Shehla Masood (35) was shot dead in Bhopal while she was on her way to a rally in support of Anna Hazare
AUGUST 2010 | Activist Ramdas Ghadegaonkar was killed in Nanded after his RTI exposed irregularities in fuel and grain allocation under the public distribution system
MAY 2010 | Social activist Dattatreya Patil, who used the RTI to expose fake registration of handloom societies in Maharashtra, was killed in the textile town of Ichalkaranji
JANUARY 2010 | Whistleblower Satish Shetty who had exposed a series of land scams in the areas of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Talegaon and Lonavala was killed in Pune while he was taking a morning walk
The RTI is a landmark initiative in Indian democracy. It is unfortunate that activists and information seekers using this rightful transparency tool have been victimized and many have even lost their lives. It is time the government passes a legislation for the protection of whistleblowers.
The state should also be more proactive with its disclosures. Making citizens run around for information that is rightfully theirs is inexcusable. Any effort to dilute the RTI should be vehemently opposed.
